WNT Type W cutters maximise performance for light alloy machining

09/02/2015

WNT’s Type W solid carbide end mills are ideal for the machining of light alloys and non-ferrous materials.

The new Type W solid carbide cutters from WNT have been designed for high performance machining of aluminium and other light alloys. With the aerospace sector in mind, the entire range is available with corner radii specific to that sector, as well as ball nose cutters available as standard.

The Type W cutters are available in a variety of geometries that have been developed for the machining of non-ferrous materials, typically found in the aerospace sector. There are two styles of ripper cutters among the range, one with a geometry aimed at pure roughing operations, featuring a round chord profile and special grind that generates small swarf chips that can be easily evacuated from the cutting area with the aid of the standard through tool coolant supply, while the end geometry of these cutters is designed with plunging operations in mind. The overall cutting characteristic of these roughing cutters is the soft cutting action and reduced vibration, which allows feed rates to be maximised even on thin-walled and unstable workpieces. The second ripper geometry is capable of both roughing and finishing operations and features a reinforced core and flat spiral design to the flutes. Swarf control has also been addressed with this design by the addition of chipbreakers to ensure maximum chip control, even in long chipping materials. In addition to the ripper cutters the main body of the range features a variety of cutter styles including 2,3,4, and multi-flute cutters all with geometries deveoloped for cutting light alloy and non ferrous materials, and feature different helix and rake angles accordingly.

WNT has also introduced new specialist coatings for the Type W range of solid carbide cutters. There is a choice of two coatings or, customers looking for an extremely sharp cutting edge can choose to take cutters uncoated. The first coating is TI1005 which is a multi-layer coating suitable for HPC (High Performance Cutting) techniques provides excellent wear resistance and greatly reduces the probblem of built up edge when machining a range of materials including aluminium, titanium alloys, brass and copper. For even greater wear resistance there is the option of WNT’s DLC (Diamond Like Carbon) coating, which has an extremely high hardness rating of Hv 0.05 = 6000, equivalent to 60-80 per cent that of diamond and a very low co-effcient of friction equal to 0.1 in comparison to steel. It is also an extremely thin coating that allows for a much sharper cutting edge. Suitable for the same range of materials as the TI1005 coating, the DLC coated tools can also be operated in wet ot dry cutting conditions. Tool coatings are not compatible with all applications in the aerospace sector due to the potential of chemical reactions between tool coating and component material. It is here that the Type W in its uncoated form is the cutter of choice. Ideal for the machining of aluminium, copper and brass these cutters have an extremely sharp cutting edge, making them highly effective on these materials.